Hot Cross Bun Monkey Bread
Easter Pull Apart Bread with Orange-Cinnamon Syrup
April 14, 2011
Anzac Biscuits (Vegan)
April 25, 2011
I’ve been having fun thinking up yummy things to bake and cook for Easter… Today I decided to use my hot cross bun dough to make Monkey Bread! My mum used to make this for us when we were kids (but not with hot cross bun dough). I often asked for it for my birthday cake. I mean, you just can’t beat a pull-apart bread made of soft yeast bread, all stuck together with sticky cinnamon-sugar goo – chewy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside! Mmmmmm…
Most of the Monkey Bread recipes I looked at on the internet used dough which was rolled in cinnamon and sugar, then placed in a bundt tin, and a syrup made of brown sugar and butter was poured over. I thought this was a bit of a ‘sugar over-kill’, so I made it the way I remember Mum making it, rolling each piece in melted butter, then in cinnamon and sugar. It makes it’s own sticky syrup as it cooks, and uses way less sugar!!
I did try to make my version of Monkey Bread a bit healthier – I used Rapadura instead of white sugar, lots of cinnamon (I love cinnamon, and it’s good for you!), and homemade butter… but if you are dairy free you could use coconut cream.
Monkey Bread made in a small loaf tin
- 1 batch hot cross bun dough (http://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2009/04/hot-cross-buns/)
- 150g butter or ghee, or coconut cream
- 100g Rapadura or coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Make a batch of Hot Cross Bun Dough (see links above), but leave the Rapadura (or sugar) out - you won't need it, since it's going to be rolled in Rapadura anyway. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
- Grease large bundt cake tin (25cm) and set aside.
- Melt butter or ghee in the Thermomix 2 mins/60C/speed 2 (or until all melted). Pour into a bowl. (If using coconut cream instead of butter, warm it up to 37C.)
- In another bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.
- Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough. Roll dough into balls, then roll in melted butter/ghee (or coconut cream), then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place the balls into the prepared tin, filling to halfway up tin. Cover with kitchen towel
- Drizzle with any remaining butter/ghee/milk, then set aside to rise for approx. 30 mins in a warm place, or until they rise enough to fill the tin.
- Place in a cold oven and turn it on to 180 degrees C, and cook for 25-30 minutes (180C) or until cooked through. Check that the bread is done by gently pulling apart a little bit in the centre.
- Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.
- Serve warm.
- If you don't have a bundt tin, divide between two small loaf tins.
(Mine were a little too full!)
Enjoy!
(Be careful not to burn yourself because you can’t wait til they cool down!!)
25 Comments
Did you burn your fingers Jo?
Mmmmmm!
Hah – I was thinking about making this this morning as well – but I made your pull apart hot cross buns (well kinda!)
Hope you have had a good day – I have spent it in the kitchen baking with my daughter – we made the bread and then fruit tingle macarons – what a great day!
No, I didn’t burn my fingers, but my daughter did! lol!
Isn’t it lovely to spend the day baking with your daughter, Cate! 🙂
I’m gonna try this recipe for my family, it looks so delicious!! I wish I could reach out through the screen 🙂
Happy Easter to you xx
Absolutely gorgeous!
If you think the picture looks delicious, wait until you try it! I made this yesterday as I was responsible for dessert at lunch. So delicious! The butter and sugar and cinnamon created a beautiful syrup that wasn’t too sweet. I was a bit scared to tip it out of the tin, but so glad I did. This will be a new firm favourite. I served it with warm plain custard. So yummy!
Yay!! So glad you liked it Cathy!! It’s been a family favourite for us ever since I can remember – I made it with my mum, my mum made it with her mum, and she made it with hers! It goes a long way back. 🙂
Thanks so much for your yummy recipe ideas. I am a new owner of Thermomix and am enjoying your site for new ideas.
Thanks Lea 🙂 The Thermomix sure does make cooking fun, doesn’t it!!
Hi Jo – loving your blog – my girls love the fact that you put up so many photos – we’re visual people here! We made the monkey bread on Sunday – I was so excited to find the recipe as I hadn’t made it since giving my bread maker away – I used to make it in that and if I’d thought about it I could have worked it out – but I didn’t and fortunately you did! Thanks.
Oh, thank you!! Don’t you just love Monkey Bread?! I’m visual too – the more photos the better! Took me a little while to get my photo system sorted out – now I need to go back and add more photos to old posts! 🙂
Hi Jo, I would love to make this tonight for dessert, but I don’t have a tin like you use, I have one loaf tin and all my others are cake tins, would it work in a cake tin? Renee x
I would think if people can’t have butter they couldn’t have ghee. It is clarified butter. Certainly a vegan could not if that was the reason they could not have butter. Just wanted to let people know.
That’s true Amanda, if you’re allergic to butter you can’t have ghee – should have ‘clarified’ that – ha ha!! I can handle ghee because the milk solids have been taken out and it doesn’t seem to bother me like butter does. If you’re dairy free you could try a butter substitute like nutellex, or just roll the dough balls in warm rice/almond/cashew milk.
Oh, Renee, so sorry, just saw your comment! Yes, this recipe can be made in any tin really 🙂
YUM! I made this today and it was a huge hit 🙂 I was a little worried as the dough was quite stiff to start with but they rose and were lovely 🙂
hi there
At what stage would i freeze this ready to take out and bake on xmas morning? (sorry if it says somewhere, Ive read the post twice and cant seem to see it!) thanks in advance. xxx
Hi Sam, just prepare them, rise for about 15-20 mins, then cover & freeze. When ready to bake, remove from freezer & thaw (about an hour, depending on size of pans), place in a cold oven, and turn it on to 180C. They’ll finish rising as the oven warms up. 🙂
I want to make this for Easter, looks so good.
Hello – can i use normal lite cows milk?
Hope you like them, Annie!
Anon, yes, you can use any milk really 🙂
Hi Jo, my consultant helped me make this and it was yummy. I wonder how you make it wheat and dairy free. I am supposed to avoid wheat. Actually yeast too, but can’t see it rising without yeast. Any ideas?
[…] for Christmas day – a ‘prepare ahead’ brunch casserole. Oh, and mum is bringing Monkey Bread too, so that should keep everyone […]
[…] You can mix this up a bit too – add some cinnamon & mixed spice to the dough in step 1. You could also add some sultanas or currants to the dough, so it’s more like a hot cross bun (see notes). For a dairy free option, you can substitute the butter for coconut cream. If you prefer a healthier Monkey Bread, check out Quirky Cooking for her Spelt Hot Cross Bun Monkey Bread. […]
Hi thermo affairs can you tell me where I’d find the Spelt Hot Cross Bun Monkey Bread please – had a search but can’t find it